Pete Sanchez

Pete Sanchez Shows Rare Intelligence


Here is Newsday's Rafer Guzman's take on our CD Release show for "Walk on the Sun"!

For Pete's Sake, Play off Strengths
by Rafer Guzman
January 18, 2007


The CD release party for Pete Sanchez's "Walk on the Sun" at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale last Thursday revealed a talented band that might not be fully aware of its own strengths - and weaknesses. The performance was hit-and-miss, and here's a rundown of both:

Hit: Kicking off with "Weekend," a sleek, sleazy rock number about after-hours mayhem. George Wolf, his brother Brian on drums and their cohorts - siblings Scott Bruno on guitar and Sean Bruno on bass - raced through the song as if Monday was just minutes away.

Miss: George Wolf's low-key stage presence. Instead of meandering around the stage, Wolf should have been thrusting himself into the crowd's face to match the intensity of the music.

Hit: Wolf's uniquely weird, slightly sinister voice. Nobody else on Long Island, or probably anywhere, sounds quite like him. (The closest comparison might be to Brett Anderson, of the British glam-band Suede.)

Miss: Asking everyone to wait "a minute and a half" while preparing to play a few acoustic songs. At a concert, 90 seconds of silence can seem like an eternity.

Hit: Having the guts to play an epic acoustic version of "Walk on the Sun" for a noisy audience whose attention was wandering. Amazingly, the room fell quiet as listeners grew absorbed by the song's wordless, hypnotic midsection.

Miss: Covering Pink Floyd's "Mother." Only Pink Floyd can truly pull off its own brand of ponderous rock. Pete Sanchez has a rowdy cover of the Guns N' Roses track "Coma" on its MySpace page that might have worked better on the crowd.

Hit: The overall songwriting. Whether it was the creepy ballad "Weed" or the hostile rocker "Brain Dead," the songs revealed a rare intelligence and a wry sense of humor.

The final score: Despite a few fumbles, Pete Sanchez remains an intriguing act. It's one to watch - and the band itself may be surprised at what it becomes.
- Newsday

Pete Sanchez is a young though experienced modern rock band from Long Island that many critics (including ours) have proclaimed as one of the best emerging acts in the region. This band is back in a big way and it's clear that huge things are in the offing for this group. - Good Times Magazine

Experimental music is nothing short of unpredictable. When there is a group of people with four different influences come together, it’s just like Paula Abdul because “Opposites Attract”. An up and coming band from Long Island, NY, Pete Sanchez has the indirect ability to prove my point with their album release of Raccoon Maisy.
Raccoon Maisy consists of 10 songs. Out of these 10 songs, I found three songs that I felt are definitely worth to be a topic of discussion for any music junkie. One of the songs that definitely seemed to stick out to me was “Delay”. The first part of that song that really captivated my attention was how funky the intro to that song is. Getting into the lyrics, “Delay” is about how a family would have different perspectives. The message that is getting across is that whether one agrees with another or not, moving forward regardless of belief is what makes a generation strong.
Another song on that Raccoon Maisy that I truly found amazing was “Braindead”. The message in the song is actually very simple, but the approach how to get the message across is pretty conceptual. Let’s say you’re in a relationship with somebody and they start to get tired of their companion because they put other priorities ahead of their relationship. Some of the lyrics for that song goes A speck in constant motion/Begins to think/Comes up with different notions/That try to bring/Order to chaos/Faith settles in/The science is unnerving/Cast down on stories we’ve been told/But even more disturbing is/Those who claim to know/Without question/How it unfolds. It kind of has that feeling that one has a clue of what is going on, but can’t quite put the finger on what it exactly can be. To me, that is very interesting because that concept of skepticism isn’t used too often.
The last song that truly needs to be discussed is “Banjo Song”. This song to me is more experimental instrumentally rather than lyrically. The riffs in this song are a field day in the spectrum of catchiness. One element that makes “Banjo Song” arguably the best song off the album is how much emphasis and emotion is put into the song. To combine that aspect with a very grunge like sound brings so much more to the song.
For fans of The Stone Temple Pilots, Radiohead (earlier work), and Tonic, you will not be disappointed.

- Broken Records Blog

Pete Sanchez,"Raccoon Maisy" (Self-released)
Left of center Long Island quartet Pete Sanchez brews an intriguing batch of tunes on the unit’s latest disc RACCOON MAISY. This band comprised of two sets of brothers meshes dark interludes and dissonant pseudo psych metal riffs (“WSE II”) with a ready for radio alternative rock slant and a flashy unabashed rock ‘n roll swagger. This troupe’s 10-track affair does just as the refrain from “Delay”, a cut that could pass for the alt rock brother of Type O Negative’s “Black Number One” asks, moving forward with swirls of hip shaking rhythms and bombastic hard rock histrionics meticulously translated and tweaked to capture the attention of those that expect more than the norm (“Stoned”). Boasting a Jello Biafra-esque vocal warble that fits snugly between the band’s System of A Down by way of Our Lady Peace musical approach, Pete Sanchez’s sinewy stylistic switches are well-played, not too complex, and warrant many listens in order to fully comprehend and digest the band’s sea-sick sonic power.
www.petesanchez.com
Rating: 4 Stars

- Ear Candy Magazine

"Pete Sanchez, 'Walk on the Sun' - They're a band, not a person, and they play atmospheric rock with arrestingly dark chords and a slightly sleazy edge - check out "Weekend," which seems to celebrate the total obliteration of Monday through Friday. At times, Pete Sanchez comes off as downright creepy - and that's a compliment."

- Newsday

Pete Sanchez: Believe the Hype! (Article in Feb. '07 Good Times Magazine)


Pete Sanchez: Living With the Hype
By Bill Reese

It's ten o'clock outside a nondescript building in a central Long Island business park on a freezing Tuesday night. Hours ago, this building was abuzz with office workers, fax machines, and ringing telephones. Now, from the front doors of the building, the faint pounding of a snare drum can be heard. It's coming from up on the fourth floor, an area that might one day become a law firm or a marketing agency but for now is the home of Long Island's upstart rockers Pete Sanchez.

In the corner of this concrete slab of empty office space sits four couches, several amps, and the band's drum kit. One could almost mistake the scene for that out of the bohemian musical Rent.

The band, consisting of brothers George and Brian Wolf and brothers Sean and Scott Bruno are taking a break to talk to Good Times, yet another local news outlet that has joined the unlikely hype over this young band.

"We just woke up one morning and we were in Newsday," said guitarist Scott Bruno over the group's first taste of music press. The group's record release show at The Crazy Donkey last month drew their largest audience to date, as well as a few clippings in the local press. Their debut EP Walk on the Sun was reviewed in Good Times' Demolition column in our last edition. The sudden publicity has helped the band gain perspective on their music.

"We took it as constructive criticism," said Scott. "We know when we're fucking up." The guitarist's sentiments were echoed by the other members of the band.

"We're our own harshest critic," said George Wolf, the group's vocalist. "We're still far from where we want to be. The criticism hammers it home so we can attack it right away."

Longtime friends dating back as far as eighth grade, the band mates are still trying to get their careers off the ground, juggling their music with tough work schedules. When asked about the group's goals, George put it quite simply.

"We want to buy our own freedom," said Wolf. "Freedom to quit our jobs and focus on the music. Right now we're just looking for the opportunity to get to play in front of the right people."

Like many bands featured in Long Island Spotlight, George reiterated the all-too-familiar mantra of how tough the music scene is in this area. This was no more evident than at the band's own record release show, where the band had to pay thousands of dollars just for the right to play on a big stage.

"The promoter did nothing to help us," said Wolf. "It's hard to find a good opportunity, and good venues are rare around here. It's also a huge hassle to go to New York City too often."

Over the next few months, the band will begin recording some new material while trying to get the extra exposure they need to be successful. They've entered the "Break Contest" to fight for a spot at this spring's Bamboozle Festival. The group is also planning to create an animated video for "Piano Song." In the meantime, the group will continue to work on their new material in their unusual rehearsal space. "If we didn't have this place, I'd think we'd all go crazy," said George.

Pete Sanchez will be playing for their shot at Bamboozle at The Lions' Den in New York City on March 4, although the group says that another Long Island date may be added in February. To get a complete rundown of the group's dates and to hear some MP3s, log onto petesanchez.com or myspace.com/ petesanchez.

- Good Times Magazine

Pete Sanchez Shows A Lot Of Promise-- And More Than A Little Self Indulgence


Here is a review of "Walk On the Sun" from the Jan. '07 Good Times Magazine...

Pete Sanchez Walk on the Sun
by Syl Nathan
Long Island-based band Pete Sanchez is comprised of two sets of brothers: drummer Brian Wolf and vocalist George Wolf, as well as bassist Sean Bruno and guitarist Scott Bruno. The first question that obviously comes to mind: Why do they collectively call themselves Pete Sanchez? Is the name a tribute to the handsome 1970s WWWF good-guy wrestler Pete Sanchez, or is there a joke in there we aren't getting?


Mindless of their moniker, Pete Sanchez performs a seemingly experimental brand of rock that's more than a bit peculiar and exceedingly hard to describe. It can't be called emo, mainly because it's so substantial and heavy as well as being thoughtful, but at times mannered. The band's website claims they have "extensive background in music theory," and it's hard to dispute that claim with the advanced time signatures and pure melody on display here.
Highlights on this five-song EP (which also includes a "hidden" sixth track at its conclusion) are the 10cc-ish title track and "Long Island," a song about, well, a certain strip of land a few people around here are familiar with. The sledgehammer opener "Weekends" sets the tone for the disc with a racing tempo, a razor's edge melody line by guitarist Scott Bruno, and a florid, impassioned lyric delivered by George Wolf. Not everything is as successful, but such is the cost of being so experimental – the misfire "Water," the second track, suffers from a repetitive lyric and a vocal that sounds like Jerry Lewis on Sudafed, as well as a chord structure so jejune that The Shaggs would accuse it of being too simple. Sorry to say, it's unlistenable and sounds like a parody considering the rest of this well-recorded EP. Overall, Walk On The Sun is a solid first effort that shows a lot of promise – and more than a little self-indulgence.
Pete Sanchez recently performed a CD release show at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. For more information on the band, log on to their website at PeteSanchez.com
– Syl Nathan


- Good Times Magazine